Cavaliers weather big passing day to down BC for first time
Virginia entered Saturday hoping to add to both a winning streak and its postseason resume. Done and done.
Brennan Armstrong passed for 287 yards and a touchdown and U.Va. survived a historic passing attack in a 43-32 win over Boston College at Charlottesville’s Scott Stadium.
Playing in their final home game of the season, the Cavaliers (5-4, 4-4 ACC) won for the fourth straight time. They can guarantee themselves a winning record with a victory next week at rival Virginia Tech.
BC backup quarterback Dennis Grosel, filling in for injured star Phil Jurkovec, completed 32 of 46 passes for 520 yards and four touchdowns. It was the highest passing yardage total ever allowed by a Cava
liers opponent, and it tied former Eagles great Doug Flutie for the school’s single-game record.
But U.Va. intercepted Grosel three times, turning two of them into touchdowns.
Armstrong, a sophomore lefthander, rushed 17 times for a teamhigh 130 yards and a score.
Keytaon Thompson, a versatile transfer from Mississippi State, lined up at quarterback and sprinted 43 yards through the middle of the line for a touchdown to give U.Va. a 43-25 lead and all but seal the Eagles’ fate with 4:28 remaining.
Seconds later, D’Angelo Amos intercepted a Grosel pass at the Cavaliers’ 4 to close the door.
Zay Flowers was the biggest beneficiary of Grosel’s polific afternoon, catching eight passes for 180 yards and a pair of scores for BC (6-5, 5-5).
Ra’Shaun Henry caught tree passes for 95 yards for U.Va., which had 549 total yards to the Eagles’ 513.
BC carried 20 times for minus-7 yards.
Playing at home in December for the first time since 2001, the Cavaliers won for the first time in seven tries in the series.
Grosel’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Flowers, along with a two-point conversion, pulled the Eagles to within 36-25 with 6:19 left to play.
U.Va. went up 36-17 on Wayne Taulapapa’s 1-yard plunge less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Leading 27-17, the Cavaliers had a third-quarter touchdown taken off the board after a penalty for an illegal block. They settled for a 28-yard field goal by Brian Delaney to pull ahead 30-17 with 4:32 left in the period.
BC opened the second half with a promising drive, but Grosel’s deep pass was intercepted in the end zone by Nick Grant.
Armstrong followed with a careerlong 60-yard touchdown run to put the Cavaliers ahead 27-17.
Aaron Boumerhi’s 35-yard field goal cut U.Va.’s lead to 20-17 as time expired in the first half.
Grosel’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Long, streaking all alone down the left sideline, pulled the Eagles to within 20-14 with just over a minute to go before halftime.
Thompson’s 10-yard touchdown run gave the hosts a 20-7 advantage with 4:46 remaining in the second quarter. Armstrong passes of 23 and 29 yards set up the play.
Armstrong’s 47-yard touchdown pass to a slanting Henry gave the Cavaliers a 13-7 lead midway through the first half. The score finished off an eight-play, 95-yard drive facilitated by a De’Vante Cross interception on the 5.